RNS: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty to the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) second time, for derelict in the duties of the official of thermal power plants leading to damage to the ecology of Damodar River.
The NGT has imposed environmental compensation of Rs 1,64,53,000 based on an assessment report submitted by a committee constituted by the tribunal. The DVC has been asked to deposit the entire environmental compensation within two months of the order.
The order was issued by NGT following a case filed by Praveen Kumar Singh, Convener, Damodar Bachao Andolan, in concern to furnace oil spill in the Damodar River by Chandrapura Thermal Power Station (CTPS) in the month of October 2019.
Earlier, NGT on 14 December 2020 by its order in another case directed DVC to deposit Rs 2,89,39,769 and to comply all other recommendations within two months. This case was also filed by Praveen Singh in view of fly ash spill in river Damodar due to dyke failure on 12 September 2019.
“It is essential to find out from the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board about the compliance status of both the NGT orders as well as the institution of the case against the DVC under the various environmental legislation for the violation of conditions stipulated during environmental clearance, Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) for such repeated incidences,” said Singh.
“The Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) a Delhi based NGO helped Singh in collecting all technical details needed to file a case in NGT. Advocate Ritwick Dutta and Advocate Rahul Choudhary have argued the case,” said Singh.
